Programme Overview
Saudi Arabia Premium Residency
SAR 100,000/year or SAR 800,000 one-time — financed against your portfolio, not liquidated from it.
Or compare it against the other programmesSaudi Arabia at a glance
Saudi Arabia's Premium Residency Programme offers foreign nationals the opportunity to live, work, and invest in the Kingdom without a Saudi sponsor. Launched as part of Vision 2030, this programme provides access to one of the world's fastest-growing economies with significant investment opportunities in tourism, entertainment, technology, and infrastructure.
Investment
SAR 100,000/year or SAR 800,000 one-time
Processing
4 weeks
Stay required
None
Premium Residency. Spouse and dependants included. There is a pathway to citizenship.
Saudi Arabia Premium Residency — investment routes
Direct Payment (Permanent)
Non-refundable one-time government fee for lifetime permanent residency.
- ▪Investment of SAR 800,000 (~$213,000)
Direct Payment (Renewable)
Annual non-refundable government fee for one-year renewable residency permit.
- ▪Investment of SAR 100,000/year (~$27,000/year)
Real Estate Investment Path
Purchase residential or commercial property worth minimum SAR 4M.
- ▪Investment of SAR 4,000,000+ (~$1,066,667)
Investor Path
Invest minimum SAR 4M in Saudi Tadawul stock exchange securities (shares, bonds, funds).
- ▪Investment of SAR 7,000,000+ (~$1,866,667), plus 10 jobs within two years
Saudi Arabia Premium Residency benefits
- Live and work in Saudi Arabia without sponsor (kafala-free)
- Own real estate and commercial property
- Establish and own businesses 100%
- Access to Saudi banking and financial services
- Include spouse and dependents
- Multiple entry privileges
- Access to Vision 2030 economic opportunities
- Strategic location connecting three continents
- No personal income tax on employment income
- Growing tourism and entertainment sectors
Eligibility Requirements
- ▪Valid passport with minimum 6 months validity
- ▪Clean criminal record
- ▪Proof of financial capability
- ▪Health insurance coverage
- ▪Medical examination
- ▪Good character and reputation
- ▪No prior deportation from Saudi Arabia
- ▪Meet criteria set by Premium Residency Centre
Who can be included
- Spouse
- Unmarried children under 25
- Parents (dependent)
- Additional fees apply for each dependent
- Family members receive dependent premium residency
Taxation
Saudi Arabia does not impose personal income tax on employment income. However, a 2.
Residency requirements
No minimum stay requirement to maintain premium residency status. Residency card must remain valid and can be used for multiple entries.
Path to citizenship
Saudi Arabia does not offer citizenship through investment. Saudi citizenship is granted only in exceptional circumstances and is extremely rare for foreign nationals.
Application process
Typical duration: 4 weeks- 01
Application Submission
1 weekSubmit online application through Premium Residency Centre portal with required documents and pay processing fees
- 02
Review & Approval
2-3 weeksBackground checks, document verification, eligibility assessment, and approval notification
- 03
Payment & Card Issuance
1-2 weeksComplete residency fee payment (SAR 800,000 for permanent or SAR 100,000 for renewable) and receive Premium Residency card (Iqama)
Costs and fees (Commission)
Every charge the programme makes, and the sales commission an intermediary adds on top of them.
Permanent Residency
SAR 800,000 (~$213,000)
One-time lifetime residency fee
Annual Residency
SAR 100,000/year (~$27,000)
Renewable annual option
Application Fee (category routes)
Approximately SAR 4,000 (~$1,100)
The five category-based routes charge only an application fee; the large figures are qualifying investment thresholds, not payments to the state.
Medical Examination
SAR 500-1,000
Required health screening
Document Authentication
$500-1,000
Apostille and translation if needed
Legal Assistance
$2,000-5,000
Optional professional guidance
Sales commission
$25,000–$40,000
A fee on what is, on the permanent route, a government charge rather than an investment.
Fee Based Model
The same programme, bought without an intermediary's commission.
You save
$25,000–$40,000
The sales commission on the left, which you do not pay. The $10,000 fee replaces it.
Total estimated cost
SAR 850,000-1,000,000 (~$230,000-270,000) for permanent with one dependent
The sales commission above is on top of this figure.
What the advice costs
The programme costs the same. The advice does not.
Through a commission
$25,000–$40,000
Sales commission on Saudi Arabia. A fee on what is, on the permanent route, a government charge rather than an investment.
Through a fee
$10,000
Paid once, and it runs to the permit being issued — route selection, the financing, the portfolio, and the agent appointed and managed for you. Paid by you, so the answer can be no.
Total saving
$25,000–$40,000
The whole commission, before the $10,000 fee. The programme costs what it costs either way.
This is the commission only. The licensed agent, the legal work and the government fees in the list above are payable whoever advises you, and nothing here removes them — a saving that quietly included a statutory fee would be the same trick in the other direction.
Commission ranges are typical rather than universal, and no firm is named. They are not published anywhere, which is the point of them.
Fund Your Saudi Arabia Investment with a Lombard Loan
Instead of liquidating your portfolio to fund the SAR 100,000/year or SAR 800,000 one-time Saudi Arabia investment, use your existing assets as collateral and keep your money working for you.
Traditional: Liquidate Assets
- ✗Sell SAR 100,000/year or SAR 800,000 one-time from your portfolio
- ✗Trigger capital gains tax (up to 20%)
- ✗Lose years of compound growth
- ✗After 10 years: $215894.23M
Lombard Loan: Keep Your Portfolio
- Borrow SAR 100,000/year or SAR 800,000 one-time against $200001.60M collateral
- No capital gains event triggered
- Portfolio continues growing at 8%
- After 10 years: $401788.21M
10-Year Wealth Projection
Is Saudi Arabia right for you?
Ideal for
- Investors seeking zero-tax residency
- Entrepreneurs wanting Middle East hub
- Those interested in Vision 2030 opportunities
- Business owners seeking 100% ownership rights
- Regional executives needing flexible base
- Those comfortable with Islamic cultural framework
Consider alternatives if
- ▪Those seeking citizenship pathway
- ▪Those requiring alcohol/liberal lifestyle
- ▪LGBTQ+ individuals (criminalized)
- ▪Those uncomfortable with conservative elements
- ▪Investors seeking passport upgrade
- ▪Those on limited budget
Alternative programmes to consider
Related Resources
Elsewhere
If this one is not the fit, these might be
FAQs
Half an hour, $100, no commission.
Whether Saudi Arabia is right for you, what it will actually cost, and whether a visa with no capital contribution gets you the same place for nothing.